I long to see the day when all the children on the streets have a safe place to call home
KARACHI: According to press reports, the Sindh government has asked the UNHCR to conduct a population count of the Afghan refugees living in the province and of street children is a welcome decision.
Being the biggest city of the country, and with an ever-growing population, Karachi is witnessing an increasing number of people seeking shelter on footpaths and under flyovers.
A quick drive through the city shows that a majority are young children, often seen begging or selling small items such as flowers or tissues packs.
Children of all ages, the youngest sometimes even being two years old, are seen roaming the streets late into the night, with no one to look after them or protect them. These young ones only know how much their article should sell for.
We as people of the privileged class can never imagine our own children roaming the streets unaccompanied, yet these little ones have no option. I hope the Sindh government’s initiative to enumerate and rehabilitate these children meets with success.
I long to see the day when all the children on the streets have a safe place to call home, are well-fed and clothed and receive education which will help them to lead a better life. The government is undertaking a great task. The government initiative will secure the future of thousands of children.
Bilal Talib
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2019.
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